Minnesota is home to five colleges and universities that can get you started in the field of automotive engineering. Two schools award Associate's degrees and all five schools award Bachelor's degrees. There are five Master's-level programs in the state and four PhD programs in Minnesota. The average cost of tuition is $13,400 per year.

A career in automotive engineering requires a thorough education in many engineering and automotive fields. A Bachelor's degree prepares you for licensure as an engineer while giving you a solid education. You may be required to take courses like Vehicle Lightweight Design, Applied Systems Integration, and Kinematics of Mechanisms. Along with general education courses, your engineering courses make up 120 credits. You can generally expect to graduate in four years.

During your four years of study, you'll get the chance to spend hundreds of hours in your school's engineering lab. During lab hours, you can work with your peers to design vehicle parts, experiment with engineering materials, and work on class projects.

The research sector is booming, and a Master's degree or PhD can prepare you for a career in research. Requiring two and seven years of study, respectively, these degrees include many of the same courses. Advanced courses at this level include Power Electronics, Advanced Combustion, and Mechanical Vibrations.

With a mix of public colleges and private universities, Minnesota's tuition rates vary widely. Minnesota State University Mankato has some of the lowest rates in the state. Tuition is $3,333 per semester for residents and $7,073 per semester for non-residents. Tuition at the University of St. Thomas is considerably higher, at $35,872 per year.

Scholarships and grants are both excellent ways to save money and avoid student loans. The Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers awards over $26,000 in scholarships every year, with scholarships like the Orian Buan Memorial Scholarship and the Bill Carlson Memorial Scholarship.